Perhaps the biggest surprise about Petra and the Beast's casual chalkboard menu is eating your way through it and discovering that the dishes equal or even surpass what's served on the restaurant's $125 tasting.

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There are no requirements to join in, no penalties — except you’ll miss some of the fun of shipboard life. “The communal spirit is greater than I had expected,’’ said John Gauger one evening in early August. “Look how many are out on deck two hours after dinner". (It was 16 out of 21 passengers. ) It’s likely some of the enjoyment was fueled by the drinks passengers had brought aboard the American Eagle for this three-night trip. “This is better than what I thought it might...